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What Customers Really Want - Six Secrets of Customer Service
What customers really want can be divided into two areas. Firstly - they want the core service of your business to meet their needs. If you say you're a plumber, then the customer expects you to fix their leaking pipe. If you say you're an accountant, then they expect you to resolve their tax details..
They also expect your product or service to represent
value for money. If I buy an expensive pair of winter boots I expect them to
keep out the cold and wet and also look good. Naturally if I were to buy a
cheaper pair I wouldn't expect them to last as long.
Customers expect your after-sales service to be efficient. If my new winter
boots start to leak when I wear them for the first time, then I expect the
shop to replace them immediately.
However, none of this will make customers loyal or cause them to tell others
how good you are. They take this core service as a given. You wouldn't see
me running around telling people that my new winter boots didn't leak. They also expect your product or service to represent
value for money. If I buy an expensive pair of winter boots I expect them to
keep out the cold and wet and also look good. Naturally if I were to buy a
cheaper pair I wouldn't expect them to last as long.
Customers expect your after-sales service to be efficient. If my new winter
boots start to leak when I wear them for the first time, then I expect the
shop to replace them immediately.
However, none of this will make customers loyal or cause them to tell others
how good you are. They take this core service as a given. You wouldn't see
me running around telling people that my new winter boots didn't leak.
This is the Second and most important point -
What customers really - really - really want and what will make them loyal
to your business and say wonderful things about you to other people are:
1. Warm and friendly responses - When customers make contact with you
face to face or over the telephone, they want a warm response. It can still
be businesslike but you and your people need to look and sound - friendly
and likeable.
(This may all sound like common sense to you but think about these factors
the next time you're a customer and ask yourself if they're happening to
you. Then ask yourself if your customers or clients are experiencing this
from you and your people)
2. They want to feel important - They know that you have lots of
other customers and clients but they just love it when you make them feel
special.
3. They want to be listened to - Customers often get the impression
that the person dealing with them is not really listening. You must keep
working on your listening skills. Keep good eye contact with people and
concentrate on what they're saying. Keep an open mind and resist the
temptation to jump in with an answer. It's also important to show that
you're listening.
4. Someone to know their name - A persons name is one of the sweetest
sounds they'll ever hear. If you use a customer's name when you talk to
them, it indicates that you recognise them as an individual. Don't use it
too often as it can become irritating, but definitely at the start and the
end of a conversation.
5. Flexibility - Customers hate to hear the word "No" or "it can't be
done." It's not always possible to say, "Yes" to a customer or do exactly
what they want; however, it is important to be as flexible as you can. Tell
customers what you can do - not what you can't.
6. Recovery - When things go wrong, customers want you to solve their
problems quickly. They don't want to hear excuses or who's to blame or why
it happened, they just want it fixed fast.
Customers will often judge the quality of your service by the way you
recover. They will even forgive your mistakes if you recover well.
Don't be afraid when something does go wrong; it's often a great opportunity
to show customers just how great your service really is.
Overall, customers just want to feel good. They want to feel better after
they've dealt with you or anyone in your business, than they did before. If
you can create that feeling, then you're well on the way to giving customers
what they really want.
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